


Poolside

by romanticalgirl



Category: The OC
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl





	Poolside

"It's not going to work." Summer looked over her shoulder to where Ryan was sitting on the low wall, cigarette dangling from his fingers. "What you're doing. It's not going to work."

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Yeah," he nodded. "You do." He hopped off the wall and leaned against it, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "You're doing everything you can to be friendly and nice to them, acting like nothing's the matter, when everything's the matter, you just don't want to admit it." 

"Wow, was that, like, a complete sentence from you?" 

Ryan smirked in response to her sneer. "Hey, it's a valiant effort. It's just gonna backfire." 

"I think you're wrong." 

"Think what you like." He took the last drag then ground the butt into the cement. He exhaled the smoke into the surprisingly cool air and straightened; ready to walk away when she whirled around on him. 

"How do you stand him? How do you put up with that stupid chatter and that incessant babble about nothing? And how do you not want to punch him for being such a smart ass and being right so often? How do you do it?" 

Ryan shrugged one shoulder. "He grows on ya." 

"We had a deal and she broke it. If I'd been the one that broke it, I'd be the one in that stupid hotel with him, not the one out here talking to you." She looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "No offense." 

"Hey, my girlfriend's in the penthouse babysitting a basket case." He grinned. "So, none taken." 

"I don't like him." 

"Course you don't." 

"I don't. He's annoying and obnoxious. He's a smart-ass and he's Seth Cohen, which really should say it all." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the pool before turning to face him. "You got another one?" 

Ryan lifted an eyebrow in response and tapped another cigarette from his pack. He flicked the lighter, holding it up to her as she took a deep breath, inhaling and holding the smoke. "Didn't know you indulged." 

"I don't. But given that Anna's up there doing unmentionable things to my other oral fixation…" She grinned impishly, the faint smile tinged with sadness. "I thought he liked me." 

"He did. He does. And he didn't want to hurt you." 

"But he wanted to hurt her less?" 

Ryan sighed and lit a cigarette of his own. "You guys blindsided him and then he did the only thing he could think of to spare your feelings. He liked you both and didn't want to hurt anyone." He shrugged. "Anna made the first move." 

"The one time I'm actually playing by the rules, I get left behind." Summer sighed. "And now I'm out here talking to you about it." 

"Better than Luke." 

Summer glanced back at the pool where Luke was talking to several girls. "He's going to snap any day now. He's trying to hold it all in and he's just pretending. It's nice that you're being nice to him. He looks up to you, I think." 

Ryan didn't say anything, couldn't around the sudden coughing fit. "Luke?" 

"Face it, Chino, you're cool under pressure. And you're coping with Coop's mental instability better than any of us ever did." She took a last drag and ground the butt under her high heel. "I think I'm going to go home. Get a good night's sleep." She looked back at the hotel, looked up at a dark window. "Tell Cohen…" She shook her head. "Never mind." 

"You need a ride?" 

"Nah," Summer smiled at him. "I can make it on my own." 


End file.
